Machine for feeding and separating paper



(No Model.) 3. Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. P. FALES. MACHINE FOR FEEDING AND SBPARATING PAPER.

No. 447,766. Patented Mar. 10, 1891.

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L. P. PALES. MACHINE-FOR FEEDING AND SEPARATING PAPER. No. 447,766. Patented Mar. 10, 18-91.

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v L.P.FALES. v MACHINE FOR FEEDING AND SEPARATING PAPER.

Patented Mar. 10, 1891.

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EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,766, dated March 10, 1891.

Application filed February 28, 1890. Serial Ne 342,055 (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

7 Be it known that I, LEWIS F. FALES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Valpole, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Feeding and Separating Paper, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates to mechanism for feeding and separating sheets of paper arranged in the form of a stack or pile to enable the separate sheets-to be introduced or fed to a machine by which some further operation may be performed thereon, such as a rulingmachine, a folding, ruling, or other form of apparatus.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide automatic mechanism by which a series of separate sheets of paper or other material arranged in apile or stack may be separately and successively removed from the stack, or sufficiently separated from the remaining sheets piled thereon to enable the feeding devices, of any suitable construct-ion, to engage with said sheet and deliver it to feed-rolls or carry it to the point Where a further operation is to be performed thereon.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawin gs, in which Figure 1 is aside view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view showing the devices which hold the main body of the paper sheet in position. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation showing the devices by which the sheet is removed from the holding mechanism in Fig. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the shoe which impinges upon the flap of the sheet and pushes it forward to enable the separator to raise it. Fig. 6 is a partial plan view showing the position of the sheets and the guides holding them in place, together with the means for operating the swinging plate. Fig. 7 is a partial end elevation showing the means for raising and swinging the shaft and plate shown in Fig. 6.

In the said drawings, the reference-n umeral 1 designates afeed-platform of suitable form and size, which is arranged to move vertically by means of a screw-shaft 2, journaled in clutch-lever 4, byivliichtheicopnection bev hfiirfthe wheel or br acket and the threaded shaft may be rendered positive and the wheel rigidly locked when it is desired to feed the platformupward, or loosened so that the platform will have no motion in either direction. The feed-platform is guided by sleeves 1 inovihg 'ii poin smooth vertical guide-bars 2. Revolution is imparted to the threaded shaft 2 by means of a worm and worm-gear 5 and 6, the former carried bya shaft 7, which forms the main shaft of the machine. Motion is communicated from the driving-shaft 7 to a shaft 8, parallel with the shaft 7. The second driving-shaft 8 is geared by a miter-pinion 9 to the prolonged end 10 of a feed-roll 2, which carries a similar miter-gear meshing with the pinion 9. Upon the end of the shaft 8 is mounted a miter-gear13, meshing with a somewhat larger similar gear 14, keyed upon the upper end of a vertical shaft 15, which is driven from the shaft 8. Upon the shaft are mounted two cams 16, the form of which is shown in Fig. 2. These cams act upon friction-rolls 17, mounted upon slide-bars 18, retracted by springs 18, and having racks 19, which engage or mesh with the segmentgears 20, carried by a shaft 21, (see Figs. 6 and 7,) which is stepped upon a plate 22, but may have vertical movement .in its bearings, the segment-gears 20 being of sufficient width to permit such rise and fall, as shown in Fig. 7. Upon one of the segment-gears, which is loose on the shaft, is mounted a lifting-cam 23, acting upon a curved cam 2t and lifting the shaft 21 at each action of the said gear, a collar 2O being firmly clamped upon the shaft 21, immediately above the lower segment-gear 20, against which collar said gear has bearing in order to raise and lower the shaft as the cam 23 rides upon the cam-plate or lift 24. The other segment-gear 20 is tight upon the shaft which runs with said gear. The ends of the slide-bars 18 are supported and move in a bracket 25, bolted to the frame of the machine.

The sheets are piled or stacked upon the platform 1, and are held in position by vertical angular guides 26, arranged upon each side of the platform, and, if desired, let into the edges thereof by means of a cut and a countersink, Fig. 6. Upon a bracket 27, mounted on the frame of the machine, pivoted a horiZontally-swinging bent lever-arm 28, upon the end of which is pivotally mounted a frame 29, having two lugs 29, one of which is pivoted to the end of the lever 28 and the other to the end of a link or parallel arm 28, also pivoted at its other end upon the bracket 27 and swin gin g with the lever-arm 28, thereby imparting substantially rectilinear horizontal movement to the frame 29. This fraine carries a vertically-movable bar 30, upon the lower end of which is a rigid shoe 31, having points 32 projecting downward. These points overhang the pile of blanks stacked upon the feed-platform 1, and, as shown in the drawin gs, they are located over that portion of the pile located at or near the front or delivery edge of the platform. Upon or within bearings 323 on the machine-frame is arranged a slide-bar 3i, and projecting from this bar is a pin 3-1:, carrying a vertical finger 35, which reciprocates within a slot in the end of the arm 28, swinging the latter and carrying the frame 53!) horizontally in two directions or to- 0 ward and from the feed-rolls 12. The bar Si is moved in one direction by a cam 36 on the end of, a shaft 37 and in the opposite direction by a spring 38, coiled on said bar 34-. Mounted on the machine-frame is a bracket 39, which projects over the blanks as they lie upon the platform 1. In this bracket slides an arm 40, havinga step 41, which lies within or near one of the angular guides 26 and rests upon the blanks, being thrown downward by 40 a cam 4-2, acting upon a curved arm 13, projecting from the arm or bar 40, and raised by springs 44, coiled on the latter.

Upon the upper end of the shaft 21 is mount-ed a plate 15, which swings horizontally and rises and falls as the shaft turns under the impulse of one of the segment-gears 20, and is raised and dropped by the other and similar gear. Upon a shaft a6, mounted in bracket-arms 4:7, is arranged a roll 48, having a raised surface or portion 49. Upon the bar 30 is arranged a collar 50, from which projects a finger 50", beneath which lies a lifting-arm5l,carried byarock-shaft52,which is journaled in lugs 39 on the bracket 39. *An arm 53 on the rock-shaft bears upon the surface of a cam 54, carried by a shaft 55, journaled in hearings on the machine-frame, whereby the lifting-arm 51 is raised at each revolution of the cam, raising the shoe 31, and as the cam passes off the arm 53 dropping the same partly by gravity and partly by the action of a spring 56, connected to alingcr 57 on the bar 30 and to the frame 29.

The operation of the parts thus described is as follows: The sheets or blanks, of whatever form, are arranged upon the feed-platform in a stack or pile, lying between the guides. 20, which preferably inclose or surround the angles of the pile, the edges of the blanks or sheets lying close to the front or delivery edge of the platform. In the present case I have shown the mechanism adapted to feeding blanks used for making paper boxes, having the form shown by dotted lincsin Fig. (3, the flaps a of said blanks being placed next the front edge of theplatform. The platform 1 being fed vertically at a proper speed by the action of the screw-shaft 2, the frame 2%) is swung rearward by the action of the slotted lever 28, Fig. 2, having an arm 29, which is pivotally connected at its end to the said frame. A link 28", having pivotal engagement with the frame 20 and with the bracket supporting the lever 28, secures a substantially rectilinear movement, the swing of the lever being such as to bring the frame far enough toward the rear to cause the shoe 31. to overhang the flaps a, or the edges of the paper sheets, of whatsoever form, which be adjacent to the edge of the platform. As the parts reach the position set forth, the cam 54, which has lifted the arm or bar 30, passes off the arm and drops said arm, bringing the shoe 31 down upon the uppermost blank and causing the point 82 to enter and partly penetrate the same. By the revolution of the shaft 37 the cam 36 upon its end is caused to draw upon the cainslide or bar 34:, and thereby swing the slotted lever 28 toward the front, thereby drawing the upper blank or sheet slightly toward the front, and causing the flap or edge to project slightly beyond the front edges of the pile upon the platform. At this moment, or immediately succeeding the movement last described, whereby the upper blank is drawn partly off the pile, the shaft 15 has reached that point in its revolution at which the cams 16 begin to act upon the rack-bars 18. It will be seen by examining Fig. 2 that the lower cam 16 upon said shaft is expanded or widmed upon each side in such manner that the lower rack bar 18 begins to move longitudinally a little before the like movement of the upper rack-bar is initiated, whereby the cam 23, Fig. 7, is caused to partly mount the curved cam 2% before the upper rack-bar imparts a rotary movement to the shaft 21 carrying the plate At the moment that this upward movement of the shaft begins the plate 45 lies in the position shown in Fig. 2 with its end directly beneath the edge of the upper blank or sheet, which has been drawn somewhat off the pile, and which is therefore raised by said plate sufficiently to permit the latter to pass beneath the same when its rotation begins without any danger of disturbing the sheets lying beneath. The plate 45 is turned until it lies substantially beneath the periphery of the friction-roll 18, where it is held by the concentric edges of the cams 16 until the raised portion 49 of the roll engages the surface of the blank and sweeps it off the pile, advancing it to the feed-rolls 12, which carry it to the mechanism by which the next succeeding operation is to be performed. throw and relief surface of the lower cam 16 as compared with the upper cam, not only effects the lift of the plate 45 somewhat in advan cc of the rotation, as already set forth, but holds said plate a short time after rotation ceases and before the reverse movement begins. A sharp-edged roll or wheel 58 rests upon the body of the blanks as thelatter are piled upon the platform and rolls upon their rearward edges to prevent the sheets from sluing, This roll or wheel is carried by an arm or lever 59, which is mounted in a frame 60,having pivotal bearing in boxes 61, arranged on the frame of the machine. A finger 62 rises from this frame and is connected to a spring 63, by the tension of which the wheel is held down upon the blanks. The guides 26 upon one side of the platform are supported by levers 64, Figs. 2 and 6, which are provided with pivotal joints 65. The ends of these levers are provided with slots 66, and in one of these slots lies a crank-pin carried by a crank-arm 68 on a shaft 09. To this shaftis rigidly connected a lever 7 0, held in normal position by a latch 71. Thelower end I of each guide is supported by a duplication of the parts described. The crank-pins are firmly clamped at suitable points in the slots (36 by bolts 72, and by operating the lever 70 the guides will swing outward like a gate. The guides on the other side may be similarly mounted and operated, or they may be simply clamped upon supports 7 3, passing through the slots 7% of similar levers, whereby they may be adjusted to any point desired to adapt them to the size of the sheet.

The operative mechanism is driven by the quadrilateral arrangement of shafts 46 and 55, carrying miter-gears and 76, respectively, which mesh with similar gears 77 and 78 upon shafts 79 and 80.

The essential problem in the case is the insertion of the plate 45 between the upper sheet or blank and the pile on which it lies.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a paper-feeding machine, the combination, with a feed-platform supporting a pile or stack of sheets or blanks, of means, substantially as set forth, for advancing or projecting the edge of the upper sheet beyond the edge of the stack, and a plate or support rising beneath said projected edge and then passing between the upper sheet and the pile or stack, substantially as described.

2. In a paper-feeding machine, the combination, with a feed-platform supporting and feeding a pile or stack of sheets or blanks, of means, substantially as set forth, for advancing or projecting the edge. of the upper sheet beyond the edge of the pile or stack, a plate rising beneath said projected edge and then passing between the upper sheet and the pile or stack, and a roll having a raised surface portion revolving above and engaging the sheet The prolonged.

to feed it off the plate, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for feeding paper, the combination, with a t-able supporting and feeding a pile or stack of sheets or blanks, of a swinging verticallymovable shoe having points or pricks upon its lower surface, a swinging and vertically-rising separatingplate mounted on a vertical shaft near the feededge of the table, and a feed-roll having a raised surface portion engaging the blank as the separating-plate passes under the edge of the sheet, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for feeding paper, the combination, with a table supporting and feeding a pile or stack of sheets or blanks, of means, substantially as set forth, for feeding said table upward, a swinging vertically-movable shoe mounted in a frame over the edge of the blanks or sheets and having points upon its lower surface, a separating-plate carried by a rock-shaft, a cam raising said rock-shaft, and a feed-roll having a projecting surface portion rotating above said separating-plate, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for feeding paper, the combination, with a table or platform supporting and feeding a pile or stack of sheets or blanks, of a threaded shaft feeding said table upward, at spring-raised stop resting upon the blanks or sheets and having an arm engaging a cam depressing said stop, a separatingplate carried by a vertical rock-shaft, a cam raising said shaft, a shoe carried by a vertical rock-shaft and having points engaging the flaps of the blanks, a cam-slide rocking said shaft, and a feed-roll havinga raised surface portion revolving over the separating-plate as the latter swings under the raised edge or flap of theblank, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for feeding paper, the combination, with a vertically-fed table or platform carrying the blanks, of a vertical shaft arranged in a frame overhanging the table, acam-slide rocking the horizontal arm carrying said frame, a bell-crank and cam lifting the shaft in said frame, a vertical shaft carrying upon its end a' separating-plate arranged in front of the edges of the blanks, cams lifting and turning said plate as the shoe rises with the flap of a blank attached to its points, and a feed-rollengaging the flap of the blank as it rests on the inserted separatingplate, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for separating and feeding sheets or blanks of paper, the combination,

' with a table or platform carrying the piled sheets, of mechanism, substantially as set forth, for raising said table, a separating-plate mounted on a vertical rock-shaft having a fast and a loose segmental gear, the latter provided with a lifting-cam, spring-retracted slide-bars having racks meshing with said gears, a separating-plate carried by said rockshaft and rising and turning in close proximity to the edges of the upper blanks, a risstep thrown downward by a cam on the edge of said blank and raised therefrom at intervals by a spring, a shoe having points engaging the flap oredge of the upper blank, a bellcrank lever raising said shoe, a cam-slide swinging the frame carrying said shoe, aseparating-plate turning beneath the raised flap of the blank, a cam-lift raising said plate as it lies under said flap, means, substantially as described, for turning the plate after it has lifted the flap sufficiently to pass beneath the same, a feed-roll having a projecting surface portion engaging the flap, and feed-rolls between which the blank passes, substantially as described.

0. In a machine for feedingpaper, the c01nbination, with a rising and falling separatingplate, of a verticallyanovable rook-shaft, on the end of which the plate is mounted, a spring-retracted slide-bar having a rack meshing with a segmentgear fast on said shaft, a similar slide-bar having a rack meshing with an independent segment-gear loose on the rook-shaft and provided with a lifting-cam, and two cams carried by a vertical shaft, upon which are, slipped the slotted ends of the slide-bars, said cams bearing against frictionrolls on the bars, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LEWIS F. 'FA'LES.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. 'li-IAYER, WILLARD .T. LEWIS. 

